Image analysis involves performing processes on images or video in order to identify and extract meaningful information from the images or video. In many cases, these processes are performed on digital images using digital image processing techniques. Computers are frequently used for performing this analysis because large amounts of data and complex computations may be involved. Many image processing techniques are designed to emulate recognition or identification processes which occur through human visual perception and cognitive processing. Automated detection and tracking of moving objects is particularly challenging in the presence of other scene changes which may include illumination changes, additional moving objects, or other scene variations.
As scenes increase in complexity and in the number of elements contained within the scene, it becomes more and more difficult to determine which elements of a scene are worth investigating further. For example, random motion of a balloon in a scene may result in the balloon being incorrectly identified for further processing wasting processor and user time in analyzing the motion of the balloon and deciding to ignore the balloon as an inconsequential element of the scene.